Women Formed a 'Wall of Moms' to Protect Protesters From Federal Police in Portland
BY ROBIN ZLOTNICK
Black Lives Matter protests may have left the media cycle, but they're still happening regularly in cities across the United States. And in Portland, Ore., unidentified federal police have been deployed by the president. They've been snatching protesters in the street and throwing them into unmarked cars and tear-gassing crowds.
In order to protect protesters from these federal agents, women formed a "Wall of Moms" between the police and the protesters. There were more than 30 moms who linked arms to create a barricade during these demonstrations. They chanted, "Feds stay clear! Moms are here!" and "Leave our kids alone" at the protest outside the federal courthouse, according to BuzzFeed News.
More protesters have arrived. A line of women haves linked arms to block the street. I’m told they call themselves the “wall of moms.” They’re chanting “feds stay clear, the moms are here” pic.twitter.com/eyYpUuoSRV
— Emily Gillespie (@emilygillespie) July 19, 2020
Protesters say that these federal officers have only served to escalate tensions in Portland. Not only are they grabbing people and shoving them into unmarked vans, but they're tear-gassing crowds, chasing and beating them with batons, and firing flash bangs.
The Mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, said on CNN that the presence of the federal police officers is "actually leading to more violence and more vandalism." He continued, "They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave."
NBC News reports that Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, alleging "that federal law enforcement officers sent to Portland to suppress protests violated the Constitution by unlawfully detaining and arresting demonstrators without probable cause."
Oregon Governor Kate Brown wrote of the federal police presence on Twitter, "This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety. The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government."
Wall of Moms, Justice Center Portland. 7/18/20. #wallofmoms #resist #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/Q575eb9niP
— Julia Peattie (@repeattie) July 19, 2020
"We are about protecting peaceful citizens' right to protest," Bev Barnum, the organizer of "Wall of Moms," told BuzzFeed News. She created a Facebook event to organize the moms after she saw a viral video in which two armed federal officers exit an unmarked van and grab someone. They had no identifying features.
Black Lives Matter protests may have left the media cycle, but they're still happening regularly in cities across the United States. And in Portland, Ore., unidentified federal police have been deployed by the president. They've been snatching protesters in the street and throwing them into unmarked cars and tear-gassing crowds.
In order to protect protesters from these federal agents, women formed a "Wall of Moms" between the police and the protesters. There were more than 30 moms who linked arms to create a barricade during these demonstrations. They chanted, "Feds stay clear! Moms are here!" and "Leave our kids alone" at the protest outside the federal courthouse, according to BuzzFeed News.
More protesters have arrived. A line of women haves linked arms to block the street. I’m told they call themselves the “wall of moms.” They’re chanting “feds stay clear, the moms are here” pic.twitter.com/eyYpUuoSRV
— Emily Gillespie (@emilygillespie) July 19, 2020
Protesters say that these federal officers have only served to escalate tensions in Portland. Not only are they grabbing people and shoving them into unmarked vans, but they're tear-gassing crowds, chasing and beating them with batons, and firing flash bangs.
The Mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, said on CNN that the presence of the federal police officers is "actually leading to more violence and more vandalism." He continued, "They're not wanted here. We haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave."
NBC News reports that Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, alleging "that federal law enforcement officers sent to Portland to suppress protests violated the Constitution by unlawfully detaining and arresting demonstrators without probable cause."
Oregon Governor Kate Brown wrote of the federal police presence on Twitter, "This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety. The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government."
Wall of Moms, Justice Center Portland. 7/18/20. #wallofmoms #resist #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/Q575eb9niP
— Julia Peattie (@repeattie) July 19, 2020
"We are about protecting peaceful citizens' right to protest," Bev Barnum, the organizer of "Wall of Moms," told BuzzFeed News. She created a Facebook event to organize the moms after she saw a viral video in which two armed federal officers exit an unmarked van and grab someone. They had no identifying features.
On the Facebook event, Barnum wrote, "Calling all moms. Let's do what we do best — protect people. As most of you have read and seen on the news, protesters are being hurt (without cause). And as of late, protesters are being stripped of their rights by being places in unmarked cars by unidentifiable law enforcement. We moms are often underestimated. But we're stronger than we're given credit for."
Barnum urged moms to wear white in order to stand out from the crowd and to wear a helmet in case things got violent. "We wanted to look like we were going to Target, like normal people," Barnum said.
Although she hoped that their "nonthreatening" appearance would stop federal officers from using violent measures against them and other protesters, the entire crowd was eventually tear-gassed. Still, Barnum said the moms will be out there "until no protester needs protecting."
Again, this is a chemical weapon of war being deployed against civilians who are exercising their right to protest an unwanted, militarized occupation of their city—not even by the entire federal government—but by specific orders of a president who aspires to be dictator. https://t.co/sgCwaeQPd9
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) July 20, 2020
While the Saturday night protest ended in violence, the moms returned on Sunday to continue to provide protection to protesters. Julia Peattie, one of the members of the Wall of Moms Facebook group, said, "There's all the times in one's life when you hear about things in authoritarian regimes and Nazi Germany, and you say, 'I wouldn't put up with that.' This is that time."
Barnum clarified that while the Wall of Moms was there to protect protesters, they didn't want to take any attention away from the Black voices who need to be heard. Brenna Burnett, who participated in the Wall of Moms, said, "This is about Black moms every day losing their children, husbands, brothers, friends. This is about Black Lives Matter. This is not about white women coming in to save the day."
Moms Form Human Shield To Protect Portland Protesters From Federal Police
By Morgan Brinlee ROMPER
July 20, 2020
Reports that federal officers in Portland, Oregon, were detaining citizens without explanation and employing aggressive tactics against protesters has galvanized mothers of all ages to join the city's nightly protests against police brutality and systemic racism. Over the weekend, dozens of Portland moms formed a human shield to protect protesters from law enforcement officers. Videos shared across social media networks captured the group standing arm-in-arm, chanting, "Feds stay clear, moms are here!" before being teargassed by federal officers.
Nightly demonstrations sparked by the police killing of George Floyd have been ongoing in Portland since late May. Although largely peaceful, the demonstrations have frustrated President Donald Trump, who dispatched federal officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Portland in early July, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
Dozens of moms outraged over law enforcements' aggressive response to peaceful protesters organized to form a "Wall of Moms" at protests in Portland over the weekend. On Saturday, a group of moms who identified themselves as Moms Against Police Brutality linked arms to form a human shield between protesters and police.
They chanted "This is what democracy looks like," "Feds go home, moms are here" and "Leave our kids alone" while standing between protesters and Portland's Hatfield Federal Courthouse. Video shared over Twitter by preschool educator Lindsey Smith showed federal officers fire flash bangs and tear gas at the line of moms as they stood chanting outside the courthouse.
But footage of federal officers firing tear gas at protesting moms on Saturday inspired even more mothers to show up to Sunday night's protest, this time wearing yellow.
"The wall of moms were in white yesterday, and they were tear gassed and shoved," one mother present at Sunday's protest told Willamette Weekly when asked what drew her to attend that evenings demonstration. "So we came in yellow today and we're alongside the fence telling them: 'Feds go home, the moms are here.'"
On Sunday, the moms, the majority of whom were white, once again linked arms to form a human shield around protesters and federal officers once again deployed tear gas against them, according to videos shared across social media.
"I am a 49 year old mother with a Masters in Education and I just got gassed by my own government," a woman who identified herself as a protesting mom in Portland wrote on Twitter in the pre-dawn hours Monday. "We were peaceful."
These are, of course, not the first mothers to have taken to the streets to protest police violence or to support Black Lives Matter protests. In fact, Black mothers have long been at the center of these protests. Still, Portland's protesting moms show mothers everywhere have had enough.
DAILY MAIL COVERAGE CHECK IT OUT 34 PHOTOS PLUS VIDEOS
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8538459/Protester-Navy-sweatshirt-shrugs-baton-beating-tear-gas-attack-federal-cops.html
Barnum urged moms to wear white in order to stand out from the crowd and to wear a helmet in case things got violent. "We wanted to look like we were going to Target, like normal people," Barnum said.
Although she hoped that their "nonthreatening" appearance would stop federal officers from using violent measures against them and other protesters, the entire crowd was eventually tear-gassed. Still, Barnum said the moms will be out there "until no protester needs protecting."
Again, this is a chemical weapon of war being deployed against civilians who are exercising their right to protest an unwanted, militarized occupation of their city—not even by the entire federal government—but by specific orders of a president who aspires to be dictator. https://t.co/sgCwaeQPd9
— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) July 20, 2020
While the Saturday night protest ended in violence, the moms returned on Sunday to continue to provide protection to protesters. Julia Peattie, one of the members of the Wall of Moms Facebook group, said, "There's all the times in one's life when you hear about things in authoritarian regimes and Nazi Germany, and you say, 'I wouldn't put up with that.' This is that time."
Barnum clarified that while the Wall of Moms was there to protect protesters, they didn't want to take any attention away from the Black voices who need to be heard. Brenna Burnett, who participated in the Wall of Moms, said, "This is about Black moms every day losing their children, husbands, brothers, friends. This is about Black Lives Matter. This is not about white women coming in to save the day."
By Morgan Brinlee ROMPER
July 20, 2020
Reports that federal officers in Portland, Oregon, were detaining citizens without explanation and employing aggressive tactics against protesters has galvanized mothers of all ages to join the city's nightly protests against police brutality and systemic racism. Over the weekend, dozens of Portland moms formed a human shield to protect protesters from law enforcement officers. Videos shared across social media networks captured the group standing arm-in-arm, chanting, "Feds stay clear, moms are here!" before being teargassed by federal officers.
Nightly demonstrations sparked by the police killing of George Floyd have been ongoing in Portland since late May. Although largely peaceful, the demonstrations have frustrated President Donald Trump, who dispatched federal officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Portland in early July, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
But while Trump may have hoped to quell protests in Portland, reports that federal officers were allegedly using aggressive tactics against peaceful protesters and grabbing civilians off the street in unmarked cars, as Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, have served only to re-energize demonstrators and, most recently, mothers.
Dozens of moms outraged over law enforcements' aggressive response to peaceful protesters organized to form a "Wall of Moms" at protests in Portland over the weekend. On Saturday, a group of moms who identified themselves as Moms Against Police Brutality linked arms to form a human shield between protesters and police.
They chanted "This is what democracy looks like," "Feds go home, moms are here" and "Leave our kids alone" while standing between protesters and Portland's Hatfield Federal Courthouse. Video shared over Twitter by preschool educator Lindsey Smith showed federal officers fire flash bangs and tear gas at the line of moms as they stood chanting outside the courthouse.
But footage of federal officers firing tear gas at protesting moms on Saturday inspired even more mothers to show up to Sunday night's protest, this time wearing yellow.
"The wall of moms were in white yesterday, and they were tear gassed and shoved," one mother present at Sunday's protest told Willamette Weekly when asked what drew her to attend that evenings demonstration. "So we came in yellow today and we're alongside the fence telling them: 'Feds go home, the moms are here.'"
On Sunday, the moms, the majority of whom were white, once again linked arms to form a human shield around protesters and federal officers once again deployed tear gas against them, according to videos shared across social media.
"I am a 49 year old mother with a Masters in Education and I just got gassed by my own government," a woman who identified herself as a protesting mom in Portland wrote on Twitter in the pre-dawn hours Monday. "We were peaceful."
These are, of course, not the first mothers to have taken to the streets to protest police violence or to support Black Lives Matter protests. In fact, Black mothers have long been at the center of these protests. Still, Portland's protesting moms show mothers everywhere have had enough.
DAILY MAIL COVERAGE CHECK IT OUT 34 PHOTOS PLUS VIDEOS
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8538459/Protester-Navy-sweatshirt-shrugs-baton-beating-tear-gas-attack-federal-cops.html
No comments:
Post a Comment